Former Grizzlies Pat Dolan and Bruce Carlson, who were both Great Falls high school sports stars, died within days of each other recently. The funeral for Dolan was conducted Monday in Billings, which is also where services will be held on Friday for Carlson.

Dolan died Nov. 18 in Billings. He was 70. Carlson passed away on Nov. 22, Thanksgiving morning, also in Billings. He was 62.

“Way too young,” said Brian.

Dolan grew up in Great Falls and graduated from Great Falls Central in 1966. Along with brothers Mike and Johno, Pat starred in football and went on to play defensive back on exceptional Grizzly teams in 1969 and 1970. He went on to a lengthy career in education and coaching in Glasgow and Billings.

Jeff Cunniff was a teammate on Great Falls Central football teams.

“As a friend, he was true blue,” Cunniff said. “He was there when you needed him. Although he was undersized for college football, his grit and determination was his hallmark. He never quit, either on himself or his teammates.”

Cunniff said the 1965 season, when Central battled powerful Great Falls High at Memorial Stadium in a 24-21 loss that is regarded as one of the top games in city history, remains a vivid memory. It was a time that featured Dolan, nicknamed “PD.”

“PD, along with Rick Ness, Dan Stimac and Mike Leffler, were the offensive punch for Great Falls Central,” Cunniff said. “Probably underrated because of the school’s size, PD and his crew wreaked havoc in the (Class AA). They were tough and resilient.

“Pat was a very successful coach and truly defined the term ‘teacher.’ His was a life well-lived.”

Survivors include his wife, Shelley, son Nathan and daughter Heather Bergeson, and five grandchildren.

“We all knew him as ‘PD,’ “ said Brian Carlson. “In high school he was the PE each for my brother Chris. I know he was a great teacher and coach and a big influence on kids. He always had a story and a smile on his face.”

Bruce Carlson grew up in one of the foremost families of Great Falls sports. His father, Gene, was head football coach at Great Falls High, from which Bruce graduated in 1974.

Bruce became a Punt, Pass and Kick national champion as a 13-year-old in 1969 and, following a standout career in basketball, football and track for the Bison, earned a football scholarship from the Grizzlies. By then his father was the head coach at Montana.

A traditional “toe-style” kicker, Bruce became one of the top scorers in Grizzly history with 196 points. He once booted a 50-yard field goal.

After graduating with an accounting degree, Bruce had a tryout with the Chicago Bears before a hamstring injured ended his football career.

“He was my everything,” Brian said of his father. “My coach, my mentor, my rock - we all called him our Superman growing up. He was just the best, not only for us but for everybody. I can’t enough about my Dad.”

Bruce married Great Falls native Judy (Friman). The family included sons Brian, Jesse, Chris and Billy. Brian and Jesse played football for the Grizzlies, while Chris played at Harvard. Billy is an eighth-grader and talented young athlete in Billings.

“The only mandate in our family was to play a bunch of sports,” said Brian. “Especially football.”

The Carlson legacy endures. Gene, who was born in Fort Benton and died at age 77 in 2009, coached the Great Falls High Bison to more than 100 victories and four Class AA state championships.

The family of Gene and his wife, Kathy, included sons Bruce and Jeff, and daughters Wendie, Kim and Stephanie. All were athletes at the University of Montana.

Though Bruce never smoked, he was diagnosed with throat cancer 18 years ago. He underwent surgery to remove his larynx in June and had been home for just a few weeks when he died.

“He was finally home, and he was recovering,” Brian said. “I was feeling good about it, because it had been a long six-plus months and we had been worrying about it so much.

“He’d been riding a lifecycle for a half hour to an hour every day, and was feeling better. But it got him …”

Bruce was a linebacker and defensive end, plus a solid basketball player for the Bison.

“Hard work and determination,” Brian said. “That’s what we all learned from our Dad.”

The Carlsons’ Shrine Game legacy is one of the greatest in the grand event’s history.

Gene played in the Shrine Game in 1949. Steve Carlson, the son of Gene's brother, Tony Carlson, played in the 1971 game. Brothers Jeff and Bruce Carlson were in the 1973 and 1974 Shrine Games, respectively, and Bruce’s sons Brian and Jesse later followed suit.

Carlson cousins Tyler and Torrey Thomas – sons of Wendie and famed football coach Terry Thomas – also were picked for the Shrine Game before starring on the football field at Montana.

“We’re all die-hard Grizzlies,” Brian said.

And that’s why these deaths have hit Griz Nation so hard.

Bruce’s mother-in-law, Beverly Friman, and brother-in-law Michael Friman still live in Great Falls. The family retains a cabin outside of Monarch.

“He was good at it,” Brian said. “All of his sons are in the same profession. We had the best teacher.”

In 2004, the Grizzlies advanced to the I-AA national championship game in Chattanooga, Tenn. Bruce Carlson was there, along with old Great Falls pals Mike Roban, Grant Kleckner and Mark Webb. Great Falls Tribune sports editor George Geise wrote about the four, calling them the “Four Horseman of Great Falls.”

Brian said the men are all planning to be in Billings later this week to say good-bye to an old friend.

“Not many people can say that their best friends from high school are still their best friends,” Brian said. “We’re going to get the clan back together on Friday in Billings. But we’re one short.”